The Blue Spirit
by Royal Maiden
Summary: An unknown student of Ba Sing Sei Univerity goes in search of the truth behind the strange occurrences that happened during the take over of Ba Sing Sei by the Fire Nation, and the truth behind the myth of the Blue Spirit.
1. Chapter zero: Prolouge

Author's notes: This is a merge of the Phantom of the Opera (book) if you have not read the book I highly suggest it and Avatar the last Air bender.

All rights reserved

The Phantom of the Opera is by Gaston Letoux and the property of (I've been checking for the copyright info and I have come up with none so I am gonna assume that it belongs to the Estate of Gaston Letoux)

Avatar the Last Air bender is created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko all rights reserved by Nickelodeon

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Prologue

The Blue Spirit truly existed. He was not, as was long believed a demon of imagination of the people of Ba Sing Sei. No, he once existed in the flesh and the blood, although, he assumed the outward characteristics of a ghost.

When I began to pilfer through the historical records of the Ba Sing Sei University's library, looking for accounts of the Avatar's role in the fall of the Earth Kingdom known as Ba Sing Sei, I stumbled upon surprising records of a ghostly man called the Blue Spirit that had rained fear on to the upper rings of Ba Sing Sei; and I was soon led to think the mystery may be logically explained by the events leading up to the kidnapping of the Water Bending Princess of the Southern Water Tribe, the disappearance of a tea sever from the Jasmine Dragon of the Upper Ring, and the death of a Earth Kingdom Rebel Leader, who's body was discovered on the banks of the Lake known as Laogai. However I have never found any creditable witnesses to these events until the day that I thought that there was no reason for connecting the events to the legendary figure of the Blue Spirit.

The truth was slow to enter my mind, I was puzzled by an enquiry that currently complicated the events which, at very first sign, may be looked upon as a super human creature; and more then once I was tempted on giving up on this mad man's task which I have exhausted myself in the hopeless pursuit of a ghost. Finally, I found proof that all of my speculations had not lead to the deceive me; and I was rewarded for my efforts on the very day I came upon undeniably proof that the Blue Spirit was more than a simple old wise tale.

On that day, I had spent countless hours over the Memoirs of the former Grand Sectary Long Feng, who was ending his term of office understood the behaviors of the Avatar's and his companion's, in search of the Avatar's missing Spirit Guide, the legendary white flying Bison.

I had left the library in despair, when I met the rather blunt Lady Bei Fong arguing with a young man that had blue arrow tattoos covering his body. He was introduced to me simply as Aang. Mr. Aang seemed to know all about my inquiries about the strange events that lead up to the tragedies in question and my search for the Avatar which nobody seemed to know what had become of him, dead or alive; now I come to find out that he, I mean Mr. Aang was indeed the Avatar. Avatar Aang had spent the last couple of months in the Eastern Air Temple recovering from an injury that nearly killed him during the over through of the Earth King, all those months ago.

Avatar Aang and I spent a good deal of the evening together; and he told me about the time he fully did not understand, the secret cue to over through the Earth King's rule, the treachery of Long Feng with his agents known as the Dai Li, and the crazed ramblings of Jet, the Rebel leader who was obsessed with the lovely Princess Katara and went into a jealous rage over her with the tea server Li, who was not a commoner as we were left to believe. When I mentioned the Blue Spirit, he simply laughed. He knew too well of the manifestations that seemed to point to the existence of a spirit walking among men, and he knew of a witness that knew the Spirit all too well. A man that at one time was called the 'Dragon of the West', and to this day some of the residents of Ba Sing Sei feared to even mutter his name, the famed retired Fire Nation General Iroh.

I was immensely intrigued about the stories of the Dragon of the West. I wondered if I would be able to track down this eccentric tea loving man. My luck greatly improved when I returned to my home and I met and elderly man waiting in front of my door, I no longer had any doubt that the Blue Spirit was not myth. Retired General Iroh handed me a beautifully crafted wood box and instructed me to open it, while he leaned back further into his cushioned chair and sipped his jasmine tea. Upon lifting the lid, I gasped as a weather beaten blue and white mask hauntedly grinned as it stared right back at me.


	2. Chapter one: It the Spirit?

**Disclaimer:** All rights reserved

The Phantom of the Opera is by Gaston Letoux and the property of (I've been checking for the copyright info and I have come up with none so I am gonna assume that it belongs to the Estate of Gaston Letoux)

Avatar the Last Air bender is created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko all rights reserved by Nickelodeon

Needless to say I don't anything with this.

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**Chapter one: Is it the Spirit?**

It was on the evening on which the Quey, the Earth King, was giving a celebration party on the streets of the noble city in honor of his new rare pet bear, Bosco. Suddenly the doors of Madame Macmu-Ling, the teacher of the Haiku school of Ba Sing Sei were invaded by half of the young noblewomen of the city. Some of the young ladies were giving vent to forced and an unnatural laughter, while others to cries were of pure terror. Madam Macmu-Ling, who had wished to be alone so she could polish up on the poetry that she was to make at the gala. She annoyingly looked around the crowd of ladies; it was young Star who gave the explanation in a trembling voice "It's the Spirit!"

Madam Macmu-Ling was very superstitious. She shuddered, when she heard young Star speak of the Spirit she at once asked for details. "Did you see him?"  
"As plainly as I see that flower gracing your hair." moaned Star, whose legs wear giving away beneath her, and the young noble sunk into a chair. Then Star's friend Koko added.  
"If that was truly the Blue Spirit, he is really beastly looking." The other girls nodded in agreement. The spirit had appeared on the street in front of the school, not more then ten meters from the front door for only a blink of an eye before he seemed to merge with the shadows and disappear.  
"Oh pooh, Star sees ghosts and goblins everywhere, remember the time she claimed that she was attacked by a green demon poodle monkey and then was swiped down the river by an evil blue siren with only a flick of her wrists?" one of the more level headed girls fanned herself. "How can we be quick to believe anything that Star says?" the young noble tapped her fan shut.   
"But Koko saw it too." Some of the other girls whaled as they clung together, drenched in their own fear.

It was true, for the past month there had been nothing but talk of the Blue Spirit, who had the face of a blue devil in the upper rings of the city. People said that he made no noise when walking and if you angered him in any way his hands would turn to razor sharp twin swords and slice your head off before you could blink. Other's said he was nothing but a floating head cloaked in shadows in search of a new body, so he could once again walk among the living. With each sighting of the spirit the stories grew more and more outlandish. "I heard that the Avatar had seen him as well." Star smugly stated before turning dreadfully pale. An agonizing silence no resigned in the Haiku school. Not a thing was heard with exception of the hard breaths of the noblemen's daughters. "Listen!" young Star, flung herself to the near by wall, with a mark of true terror gracing her face. Everyone could hear rustling on the other side of the wall. It sounded like a sharp knife going through silk. Then it just stopped right next to the door.

Madam Macmu-Ling tried to show more courage then the others. She went up to the door and with a shaking voice asked "Who's there?" However no one answered, she repeated once more before placing her hand on the door knob.  
"Of course there is!" cried little Meng huddling in the middle of the other girls.  
" What ever you do Madam, please don't open the door." Koko pleated as she clung to the corner of Madam Macmu-Ling's gown. Madam Macmu-Ling would have none of that, so armed with the dagger she always carried out of habit carefully opened the door as the young nobles hid in the corner. Madam Macmu-Ling looked down the street bravely. The street was completely empty, nothing but the gas lit lamps flickering in the wind, giving off an eerie green glow.  
"There is no one out there. Madam Macmu-Ling stated.  
"I still saw him." Star exclaimed.  
Madam Macmu-Ling rubbed her temples and sighed "We better make our way to the gala, at once. We will make our way to the gala together, making sure that no spirit or demon is trailing us. Now ladies please pull your selves together, I dare say." closing the door behind her.  
"Yes, yes we've seen him. We saw him just now!" the girls cried in chorus. "He had his blue demon head and his gleaming sword hands, just like when he appeared with Sergeant Gow."  
Madam Macmu-Ling paused for a moment, "The local magistrate?" she questioned. The young noblewomen nodded in unison.  
"Sergeant Gow should keep his mouth shut, if he knew what's good for him." Young Meng sneered.  
"Why should he do that?" on of the other girls asked.  
"That's Aunt Wu's opinion." replied Meng, lowering her voice looking about her, as though fearing lest other ears then those present might over hear.  
"And pray tell why is that your precious Aunt Wu's opinion?" Star questioned.  
"Hush, Aunt Wu said that the Spirits do not like to be talked about." Meng snapped.  
"And why does she say that." Koko smugly asked.  
"It because… because… you wont understand." Meng sighed.  
"Why is that?" Madam Macmu-Ling calmly asked.  
"Because Aunt Wu can predict the future and speak with the spirits. She can tell what they do and do not like." Meng explained.  
"Oh, pure nonsense!" one of the young ladies smirked.  
"It's true, Aunt Wu and too predict the future, I've seen her predictions come true." Meng pouted.

"Madam Macmu-Ling, Madam are you there? Madam Macmu-Ling?!" a young man dressed in water tribe clothes called out as he banged on the Poetry house's door.  
"Young Prince Sokka, what brings you to my Poetry house?" Madam Macmu-Ling bowed her head when she opened the door.  
"I heard that there was a murder not too far from here and I feared for you and your beautiful students." The water tribe warrior panted.  
"It was the Spirit!" Young Meng shrieked before clasping her hands over her mouth. "No I didn't say that, I did not say that." Madam Macmu-Ling placed a calm hand on young Meng's shoulder,  
"Do you know who the victim was, Master Sokka?"  
Sokka took a moment to calm him self. "It was Gow, Sergeant Gow. He was found with his throat slit nor more then three buildings down." He paused "He was in the ally with the look of complete horror marked in his eyes. I've never seen any thing like it before." Sokka shook his head trying to rid himself of the images. "I came to escort you and your students to the Gala, please allow me the honor Madam Macmu-Ling?" Sokka bowed extending his hand to Madam Macmu-Ling, which she reluctantly took.  
"So much for fine tuning the poems I am to deliver." Madam Macmu-Ling muttered under her breath.

**Author's notes**: First off some of you people may be wondering who some of these people are? I'll tell you:

Madam Macmu-Ling is from the episode of Tales of Ba Sing Sei she is the head of the Poetry house that Sokka went to.

Star is also from the episode of Tales of Ba Sing Sei, she is the rude Noble woman that makes fun of Toph.

Koko is from the episode The Warriors of Kyoshi, she is Aang's main fan girl.

Gow is from the episode Zuko Alone, he was the Earth Kingdom soldier in charge of the small band of soldiers in Lee's village. I gave him a title just for the fact I highly doubt that any noble women would even talk to a lowly soldier.

Meng you guys will most likely know she is from the episode The Fortuneteller.

Aunt Wu as many of you know is also from the episode The Fortuneteller.

I know this is pretty much a filler chapter that really does not have much to do with the main cast but it does give an idea of what other people of the city feel about the spirit. Rest assured the next chapter will have some Zuko and Katara goodness in it.

I must thank Avatar Spirit for the character resources, it save me so much time in finding out the names of minor characters.

I also must thank my reviewer's, Thank you guys so much you make the hours and days toiling away worth it.


	3. Chapter two: The New Oma

**Disclaimer:** All rights reserved

The Phantom of the Opera is by Gaston Letoux and the property of (I've been checking for the copyright info and I have come up with none so I am gonna assume that it belongs to the Estate of Gaston Letoux)

Avatar the Last Air bender is created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko all rights reserved by Nickelodeon

Needless to say I don't anything with this.

First off a little note: I just want you guys to know this is not strictly based off of Avatar the Last Air Bender or Phantom of the Opera I will be changing the plots and the time line around how I see fit. I will use characters that I feel fit the parts. I am going to "try" and I stress try not to use any original characters since Avatar does have quite the mix of characters. So if you randomly see (example) Lao Bei Fong do not be surprised. As some of you may have noticed I have been bringing some points into the show, however may incorporate parts of episodes does not mean I am going to follow the episodes. This is an Alternate Universe if you will.

**Chapter Two: The New Oma**

In the street of the main square, Madam Macmu-Ling brushed against Lord Quon, who was coming from his new tea shop. Lord Quon, who was generally a very calm man, seemed greatly exited.

"My dear Macmu-Ling, I was just on my way to hear some of your wonderful poetry." He bowed as he took off his hat. "Oh Madam Macmu-Ling, what an evening! The Kyoshi warrior's fan dance, the Ostrich horse joust, and best of all the opera of Oma and Shu with young Princess Katara as Oma: what a triumph! Her sweet voice was like an angel's."

"That's impossible!" sneered Meng. "When she came to my village six months ago, she sang like a dying cow-pig, the hussy." She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Hey Meng, that hussy as you call her happens to be my baby sister and Aang's water bending teacher. So I suggest you keep your snide remarks to yourself if you know what is good for you." Sokka held his boomerang in his hand to show his seriousness. "Anyways ladies, I am going to find out more about the man, who was found with his throat slit." Sokka gave a quick bow to the young nobles and went on his way before being stopped by Joo Dee when she heard this remark.

"How!?" Joo Dee exclaimed roughly. "Have you citizens heard about this so soon?" she paused, growing very jittery. "Please, forget about these events, and above all do not tell any one else about the tragic events tonight, it would just upset them." Joo Dee gave a nervous grin as she tried to heard the southern water tribe prince to where the Avatar and his other companions where.

Sokka was ushered into the main square, which was already filled with people. Lord Quon was right, no gala's performances had ever equaled to this one. All the great performers of the Earth Kingdom had gathered to display their masterpieces. However the true triumph of the evening was reserved for the southern water tribe princess, who had begun by singing a few passages from Travel Through Time. It was the first time that the young water bender had never sung in front of a crowd so large. Those that heard her say that her voice, in these passages, was magical; but this was nothing compared to the angelic notes that she brought forth during the cave of the two lover's scene in the Story of Oma and her Shu, which she sang in place of Jun, who had fallen ill. No one had ever heard or seen anything like it.

Katara revealed a new Oma that night, an Oma of complete radiance and splendor that no one had ever thought possible. The whole theater went mad, in rising to there feet, cheering, clapping, and shouting, while Katara wept and fainted into the arms of one of the fellow performers and had to be carried to the nearest building so she could recover. Some of the Nobles were outraged how dare a pure talent like her's, had stayed hidden until now? Until then the young princess had always played a silent roll in the celebration until Jun's inexcusable absence from tonight's gala. It was thanks to the Avatar's suggestion that she was ever even considered for such a roll until the Earth King heard her softly singing to herself in the palace gardens as she practiced her water bending. Oddly enough no one, not her brother nor the Avatar could explain how she had been able to excel in the art as she did with out a music professor. All was known was that she would like to practice by herself in an unknown location. The whole thing was a mystery.

Jet was standing in one of the door ways when the frenzy took place. Jet was jut seventeen years of age. He was a great Rebel leader and a very good looking man, well above normal height and with very charming features, in spite of his messy hair and the straw always hanging out of his mouth. He was superbly polite to women and extremely manipulative of men. After the last encounter with the Avatar Jet decided to disband his group of rebels known as the Freedom Fighters and start a new life in the Earth Kingdom's capital, Ba Sing Sei. On his way to the majestic he met a young man the same age as him named Li who was traveling with his elderly uncle. Jet knew nothing about Li when they first met but he quickly bonded with the troubled youth. All Jet knew of Li was that his Uncle Mushi seemed to be the only family he had left outside of the hundred year ware. Jet really did not care about the details of Li's past because if any one could live after receiving a deadly burn to the face from what he figured was from a fire bender, was ok in his book. The two would occasionally meet up with each other and cost a little trouble for the secretive Dai-Li agents. But tonight Jet was alone and he would have it no other way because tonight he was to watch his Katara perform. Oh how he love to watch her, with her caramel skin and her ice blue eyes, To Jet Katara was perfect and he was determined to make her his. The rebel watched as they carried her to safety into the nearby tea house, Jet knew the tea house all too well it was the one that Li's Uncle managed and he could easily sneak into. Jet just waited for his opportune moment when the people would crowd the shop he could easily blend in with the others Li would not kick him out. The rebel just barely skirted in behind the healer when he heard Li demanded everyone but the healer to kindly leave the shop. Li's eyes met Jet's and he signaled for the rebel to leave as well. The water tribe beauty needed her rest but there was something else, Jet did not understand the look in Li's eyes it almost seemed like fear.

Li locked the doors to the Jasmine Dragon tea house and remained in the room and watched as the slumbering princess slowly returned to life. Katara uttered a deep sigh, which was answered by a groan, She turned her head, saw the golden eyes and the fiery red scar covering the young man's left eye, her eyes widened for a split second before she turned to the healer, on whom she bestowed a sweet smile upon, then the door, then back to the man with golden eyes.

"Sir," she said, her voice no louder then a whispering wind, "Who are you?"

"My lady," Li bent down on one knee so she could hear him better. "I am the boy who retrieved your necklace when you lost it at sea all those months ago."

She looked at the healer and the two began to laugh. Poor Li turned a very bright shade of red and stood up.

"My lady," he started, "Since you are very pleased not to recognize me, I would like to say something to you in private, something of the greatest importance."

The water beauty just sighed and turned her gaze at the glass door. "When I am feeling better, if you do not mind?" her voice began to shake slightly. "You have been very good to take care of me, but I must ask to be left alone." Katara rose and, passed her hand over her eyes. "Thank you doctor I am feeling much better now, can I be left alone for a moment to make myself more presentable?" the healer nodded and ushered the tea server out of the room, before leaving out the glass doors herself. Jet watched the Princess intently from the shadows of a near by tree. He saw the Avatar softly knock on the door before entering for a breathe moment and was quickly ushered out before the door had locked and the lights went out leaving the main room in total darkness for some time. Aang prepared to knock. But his hand dropped. He heard a man's voice in the darkened tea room.

"My dear Princess, you must love me."

"Jet, I am begging you please leave me alone." Katara trembled

"Now why would I do that? Hmm, so you can go run off with your little masked friend? I think not. Don't think for a moment I do not know about you and your private little singing lessons with that masked freak." Jet stepped closer to the maiden in the darkness. "You're mine, you know that."

"Jet please, leave me be. I want no part with you or your madness now let me be." Katara shuttered as Jet held a lock of her hair and took in her sent.

"It seams that we are not alone beloved." The young Rebel slowly went for one of his tiger hook swords as he watched the shadows. "Lets see if you are truly a spirit or man." He smirked as he lunged at the shadow before he was almost effortlessly shoved out the window he came from. Jet banged on the window to get back in but it would not budge. Aang heard a crash to the side of the tea house and went to call Katara once again, when he heard Katara speak.

"You saved me again." She said in a sweet whispering voice. "How can I ever repay you?"

"You need to only sing for me." The unknown man spoke in a hushed tone.

The water maiden softly giggled, "You know when I sing, I do it only for you."

Aang lent against the wall to ease the pain of the words he heard. Each one of Katara's sweet syllables was cutting into his heart like a knife. The young Avatar seized his heart with both of his hands trying to make the pain stop.

The soft voice spoke again. "Are you tired, my love?"

"Tonight my lord, I gave you my soul and now I am dead." The princess sighed.

"Your soul is truly a beautiful thing, and I thank you. No king or Emperor has ever received such a fantastic gift before. The spirits wept tonight as you sang." The soft voice spoke.

Aang could not bare to hear any more after that, and hid himself in a near by tree tears shedding over his poor broken heart as he watched Katara, his only love leave the tea house with the hood of a cloak up to hide her soft features in the shadows. "How could you do this to me Katara? I love you." The young Avatar continued to weep. Aang pushed past the jubilant crowds trying to make his way back to his group's house not too far from the Poetry House. "Which way is the way to the Haiku school?" the bald monk asked a soldier.

"Two streets down and to the west, but I recommend you go another way; they are bringing the body of Sergeant Gow out. He was found with his throat cut not to far from there."

Aang mumbled a soft prayer for the departed before resuming his path.

**Author's Notes:** Well for the people who have read the Phantom of the Opera may have noticed I have taken parts of each characters and gave them to the person I thought that it would fit the best. I am gonna try not to give anything away so you got to read it to put the pieces together. Now time for the random Avatar characters:

Lord Quon is from the episode: Lake Laogai, he was the Noble man who offered Iroh his own tea house in the upper rings.

Jun is from the episode: Bato or the Water Tribe, she was the bounty hunter

Also for those people who are wondering 'Travel Through Time' is from the 1989's Phantom of the Opera: the movie. I love this song it's such a sweet love song:

_Your eyes see but my shadow_

_My heart is over flowing_

_There's so much you could come to love_

_You've got my heart glowing_

_Tenderly_

_You could see_

_My soul._


	4. Chapter three: Feared the Spirit

Disclaimer: All rights reserved

The Phantom of the Opera is by Gaston Letoux and the property of (I've been checking for the copyright info and I have come up with none so I am gonna assume that it belongs to the Estate of Gaston Letoux)

Avatar the Last Air bender is created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko all rights reserved by Nickelodeon

Needless to say I don't anything with this.

**Chapter Three: Why Grand Secretary feared the Spirit**

During this time of the Gala was well underway. I have already stated that the magnificent performances had been given on the occasion of the Earth King's new rare pet bear. However, I have not told you about the legions of Joo Dees and the agents of the Dai-Li had been patrolling the streets of the upper ring of the fair city, making sure that all talk of the dead Sergeant Gow was silenced before it made it's way to the ear's of the Earth King. Long Feng had been hiding any rumors of the Blue Spirit from the young king in hopes of being able to manipulate the naïve monarch. Long Feng had joined in alliance with the conniving princess of the mighty Fire Nation in hopes of claiming the city of Ba Sing Sei as his own.

Long Feng had been spending the night standing in position to intercept any of the guests that would wish to speak with the young King. Long Feng had even gone to the extent of black mailing the Avatar and his group with the safety of their beloved flying bison to keep their mouths shut about any rumors of the Blue Spirit Everything was falling in place for the greedy Long Feng. Everything, but this masked criminal; who seemed to always be one step ahead of his plans. It was almost like this mysterious vigilante was able to read his mind. Long Feng did not like it one bit. He had actually sent the late Sergeant Gow to wait in the shadows outside of the Avatar's home so he could scare the young water bending princess to the point that neither her or the others would dare to risk going to the Gala and do anything foolish. Sadly the Blue Spirit had already engaged with Sergeant Gow before he was able to complete his mission. Long Feng thought it was a pity to lose Sergeant Gow, he had great potential. He may have been able to join the ranks of Long Feng's elite Dai-Li in a few years. But that did not matter now since Sergeant Gow was now dead.

The people of the upper rings had all began to gather in the royal gardens for Madam Macmu-Ling's Haikus that would be accompanied by the music by a Mr. Chong and his merry group of Wondering Nomads. Madam Macmu-Ling paused to bow gracefully to the Earth King before starting her poem.

"Rare creature named bear

With such soft ebony eyes

Resting peacefu-"

Before Madam Macmu-Ling could finish her first poem, an exclamation from the rather frazzled Star broke the smiles of the crowd.

"The Blue Spirit!" Star screamed those words with an unspeakable terror and her finger pointed, among the crowds of noble men, to a face so frightening and ugly, with two deep dark golden eyes that seem to glow in the dark." The Spirit! The Blue Spirit!" Star screamed again and again. The crowd of nobles started to mumble with one and other as the Blue Spirit stood on top of the Earth King's Palanquin for a moment before disappearing once again into the shadows. The Dai-Li hunted for the shadow in vain, while two of the Joo Dee tried to calm little Koko while Star stood in place screeching like a sparrowket. Madam Macmu-Ling was furious: she had not been able to complete her poem and the Earth King was ushered off to the palace with nearly the same speed as the Spirit him self. None of the higher ranked Noblemen was surprised at this. "Long Feng?" The Earth King paused a waiting for his advisor to stand before him.  
"Yes, my Lord." Long Fend bowed before the King.  
"Who is this Blue Spirit, and why was that girl pointing to the top of my Palanquin for?" The king adjusted his glasses a waiting for an answer.  
Long Feng paused for a moment before answering. "His is no one of great matter of concern, my Lord. Just a simple juvenile hooligan, trying to stir up some trouble. Pay it no mind my ledge."  
"But, Long Feng…" the Earth King started.  
"I have everything under control, my lord. You have nothing to worry about." The Earth King's eyes hazed over at the calming words of his advisor.  
"Yes, nothing to worry about." The Earth bowed his head slightly and left the thrown room.  
"Seems that your so called Spirit is giving you some problems, Long Feng." A Kyoshiin dressed warrior admired her nails as she stood in the dark.  
"Princess Azula." Long Feng did not even bother to look at the false warrior. "Rest assured that this little worm will not interfere with our plans. The Earth Kingdom will soon enough belong to your father and you will have your hands on the Avatar and his companions in a matter of days."  
"You better be right for your sake." Princess Azula smirked before disappearing into the darkness. Long Feng stood in the darkness for a few moments before going into his study. In his Memoirs, Long Feng says: "When I think about this evening, I can not even explain the utter shock I sustained when I entered my office and found an ivory Earth kingdom dagger stabbed into my desk with a note wrapped around the blade. Til this day I still remember the words of that letter written with the most beautiful golden colored calligraphy that I have ever seen before.

_'Dear Lord Long Feng:  
Grand Secretary to his Highness, King Quey the first__I trust that you had an enjoyable time at the Grand Gala of this evening. I must admit I was overwhelmed by the grand pleasantries that were put forth today. What had surprised me the most was the superb quality of the young Water Tribe Princess's voice. I will trust that you will have take the up most care of protecting Princess Katara, if I hear any more attempts to harm one hair on her lovely head, you would not need to worry about what the disguised Fire Nation Princess will do to you, because what I will do to you will be ten fold more then what she could ever do._

_Your humble servant,_

_Blue Spirit.'_

Author's Notes: I had hope to get this chapter done earlier, however the lovely cold and headaches I have been having had stopped all of my thinking process. Head aches are the evil spawns of Satan that stops all of the thinking process of anyone. –shakes fist at my head- Luckily today my head only slightly rang so I was able to complete this chapter. I am looking forward to the next two chapters they are going to be fun ones to write… I hope to have them up over the weekend but I make no promises.


	5. Chapter Four: The Mysterious Tea House

_**Disclaimer**: All rights reserved _

_The Phantom of the Opera is by Gaston Letoux and the property of (I've been checking for the copyright info and I have come up with none so I am gonna assume that it belongs to the Estate of Gaston Letoux) _

_Avatar the Last Air bender is created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko all rights reserved by Nickelodeon_

_Needless to say I don't anything with this._

**Chapter Four: The Mysterious Tea House**

Long Feng wrote such voluminous Memoirs during his short lived alliance with the Fire Nation Princess that we may ask if he ever found time to attend any of the government affairs other than by the gossiping of what went on. In truth, Long Feng did not know the first thing about what went on in politics; he did not care for the tediousness of the laws and proclamations. But by his title he was called the Grand Secretary to his royal highness; Long Feng had dabbled into the art of hypnotism in his younger years, which had greatly increased his power in the royal court. At one time Long Feng was nothing but the third son of a train pusher. He had used his devious mind to quickly rise in the ranks of the royal court, and when was put in charge of the Earth Kings elite police, the Dai-Li everything started to fall neatly into his hands until the arrival of the Avatar and his traveling companions.

Soon after the Avatar arrived the Fire Princess, disguised as one of the warriors of Kyoshi appeared with two other members of the Fire court, whom Princess Azula simply called Mai and Ty Lee. The lady named Mai I have discovered to be the daughter of the Fire Nation Governor of the once grand city Omashu which was renamed in honor of the Fire Lord Ozai. Ty Lee however, not much is known from her. From what Lady Toph Bei Fong has kindly told me Ty Lee was and I quote: "An overly bubbly touchy feely circus freak that had an obvious crush on 'Snoozles'."

I found out later on that the 'Snoozles' character that Lady Toph was referring to was the crowned Prince Sokka. Lady Toph seemed to have a nick name for every one of her companions. I dared not question the mighty Earth bender in fear that she would wrap a steel door around my neck.

Lady Toph was kind enough to tell me some of her experiences during this time in Ba Sing Se's history. She went on explaining how after the Grand Gala all but 'Sugar Queen' as she put it received letters that would take them away from the main ring of the fair city. The Avatar was bound for the Eastern Air Temple to master something called the Avatar state. Prince Sokka was to meet with his father Chief Hogoda for the planning of the battle of the 'Day of Black Sun.' Lady Toph received a letter from her mother hoping to restore peace in their fragile family. The Princess Katara however, stayed behind to meet with the Great Council of Five to help with battle preparations and by request of the Earth King to sing once more in the Opera of Oma and Shu. From my understandings the King enjoyed the first performance of the water bending princess greatly and was even considering having her become a permanent member of the Earth Kingdom's royal court.

The first few days that the Avatar and two of his companions were out of Ba Sing Se, Long Feng was given over to the delight of finding himself at the head of a plot to be rid of the Earth King and be able to rule with out worry of the Fire Nation Princess; he had completely forgotten the letter from the Blue Spirit warning him to stay away from the young water tribe princess. When an incident occurred with one of his agents who was appointed to spy on the princess Long Feng soon received a letter ever so carefully pinned to the inner wall of his desk drawer.

'_Dear Mister Secretary Long Feng,_

_I trust your time with out the watchful eyes of the Avatar have been peaceful However I can not help but notice your Dai-Li agents circling the tea house on the south west corner of the upper ring. I simply can not allow this, I know full well that the water bending princess likes to frequent this tea house, and I know I have already warned you about approaching the Water Tribe Princess. If she is not left alone you will pay in a fate worse then you could possibly imagine. Consider this your final warning on the issue. _

_Your humble and obedient servant,_

_Blue Spirit'_

Long Feng had barely finished reading this letter, when Fire Princess Azula entered his office seething and carrying a letter with the same golden penmanship. "What is the meaning of this Long Feng?" the Fire Princess demanded thrusting the offensive letter into the hands of the Grand Secretary. Long Feng began to read aloud:

'_Dear Fire Nation Princess Azula daughter of Fire Lord Ozai,_

_I trust your stay in my fair city has been an enjoyable one. I know full well of your plans of infiltrating the palace and claiming the Earth Kingdom as your own. However I will warn you to stay away from the water tribe princess and the tea house she frequents, if I find out that you or one of your companions have in anyway harmed her you will face a more painful death then the one of you grand father, Fire Lord Azulan which is your name sake._

_Your humble and obedient servant,_

_Blue Spirit'_

"Answer me now Long Feng, what is the meaning of this?" the false Kyoshi warrior was growing angrier by the moment.

"Just some common criminal who is simply trying to scare us Princess, pay him no mind." The Grand Secretary tried to calm the fire princess into a false sense of security.

"Idiot!" Princess Azula raged. "He is more cleaver then a simple criminal, or does you simple mind not comprehend that. If he knows that I am in the city he has probably deduced our plans and is just biding his time before he uncovers us and we are both thrown into prison to waist away our excuse for lives. He is obviously in league with the Avatar, or else he would not have mentioned the Avatar's water bending teacher, and if she knows that I am here you can bet you feeble existence you call life that the Avatar knows. With that being said he probably has some poorly thought out plan to ensnare us." She paused for a moment. "Find out what you can about this Spirit so I can nip this annoyance in the butt, you're dismissed." Princess Azula waved her hand in a shooing manor.

Long Feng left his office in a fowl mood stopping when he entered the main hall. "Bring in the Rebel leader to the main room. I will need his assistance with my plans." The Grand Secretary made his path to the Dai-Li's main interrogation room. Moments after Long Feng entered the main room the wall opened up with two Dai-Li agents dragging a shaggy haired young man behind them. "Ah, Jet we meet again." Long Feng smirked.

**Author's notes:** _I found this chapter rather fun to write… However I must admit trying to write in a ways that a snooty scholar is rather hard at times. Trying to make sure every one is speaking in a prim and proper way does make the head hurt. Hence the reason why allot of the time Katara is referred to as Princess Katara. I am under the firm belief that Katara and Sokka's father is the chief of their small water tribe so I ran away with the royalty thing because I would think that a snooty scholar would have done the same. Please stay tuned for the next chapter I have a feeling that it will probably be one of my favorites._


	6. Chapter five: The Enchanted Pipa

Author's notes: This is a merge of the Phantom of the Opera (book) if you have not read the book I highly suggest it and Avatar the last Air bender.

All rights reserved

The Phantom of the Opera is by Gaston Letoux and the property of (I've been checking for the copyright info and I have come up with none so I am gonna assume that it belongs to the Estate of Gaston Letoux)

Avatar the Last Air bender is created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko all rights reserved by Nickelodeon

**Chapter Five the Enchanted Pipa**

Princess Katara, owing to a series of intrigues to which I will return to at a later time, did not immediately continue her triumph at the Opera. After the now famous Gala night, she sang once in the Royal court by request of the Earth King; but this was the last occasion on which she was heard in the high society. She refused, with out a plausible excuse, to appear at the grand opening of Aunt Wu's fortune telling house to which she had promised her assistance. She acted like she was no longer the mistress of her own destiny and as though she feared a new triumph.

She knew that many members of the royal court had wrote to the Earth king on her behalf to perform once more; she had wrote to many of the members of the royal court to that them and to also ask that to cease speaking on her favor. Her reason for her most curious behavior was never discovered. Some believe that it was due to overweening pride; others spoke of her most divine modesty. However people of the stage are not as modest as all of that; and I believe that I shall not be too far from the truth if I describe her actions simply as pure and utter fear. Yes, I believe that young Princess Katara was frightened by what happened to her on that glorious night. I have a letter of the Princess's relating to this time period, which suggests a feeling of absolute terror:

'_I do not know who I am when I sing,'_ writes the unfortunate water tribe princess. She kept herself in complete seclusion with the exception of her meeting with the Council of Five; and the young tea server from the Jasmine Dragon tried in vain to meet with her. He wrote to her, asking leave to call upon her, but soon had given up all hope in receiving a reply, when one morning, she sent him the following letter:

_'Dear Li,_

_I have not forgotten the young man who retrieved my necklace when I lost it at sea all those months ago. I feel that I must write to you today, when I am going to Lake Laogai, to fulfill a sacred duty. Tomorrow is the anniversary of my mother's death, whom died in a raid from the Fire Nation many years ago. I will be at the inn not too far from the south shore line for the remainder of the week I would very much like if you would join me there._

_Katara'_

Li consulted the railway guides, dressed as quickly as he could, wrote a few lines to his Uncle explaining where he was going, and packed a small knapsack with clothing and various other items before jumping into a rickshaw taxi which brought him to the main train station just in time to miss the morning train. Young Li spent the remainder of the dismal morning around the train station of the second tier of the grand city and did not recover from his fowl mood until late in the day, when seated in his compartment in the express train to Lake Laogai. He read the Water tribe Princess's letter over and over again, smelling it's sweet perfume of panda lilies and jasmine, recalling the sweet pictures of the first time he laid eyes on her in the South Pole clenching to an old woman that he had assumed was her grandmother, and spent the remainder of his journey in fever day dreams that began and ended with crystal blue eyes. When the train arrived at its set destination the early signs of twilight had set on the horizon. He rushed to the closest rickshaw for the southern shore of the tranquil lake. Young Li questioned the driver and learnt that, on the evening of the previous day, a young lady with deep tan skin had gone to the Southern shore of Lake Laogai and put up at the inn known as the Aoi Shuǐ.

The nearer he drew to the princess, the more fondly he remembered the time that he had crossed paths with a lot of Pirates and a water bending scroll that a certain water tribe maiden had acquired by means of thievery. He smirked as he recalled the expression on her face as he grabbed her wrists saying that he would protect her from the pirates. He had tied the water tribe princess to a tree and offered her necklace in trade for the where abouts of the Avatar. His mind wondered to the blue satin necklace and when he discovered it on the prison barge he knew exactly whom it belonged to. He would spend hours gazing at the detailed carvings in the mother of pearl shell that adorned the center of the necklace. He had treasured the necklace when he came in possession of it and did not wish to separate with it. If it wasn't for the Avatar's sneakiness in that Earth Kingdom Abby he would still have the water tribe necklace that meant so much to the southern princess. He recalled the next time he crossed paths with the princess was in the Spiritual Oasis of the Northern Water Tribe. Li was amazed how quickly she had improved her water bending skills it was almost like she had frozen time while she took her time in mastering her element.

When he discovered her again in Ba Sing Se he was charmed once again by her beauty and her confidence, but was rather surprised at the negative side of her skills. It was almost like the water was controlling her not the other way around. She seemed to have lost touch of things. He had followed her in secret so he could soak in her beauty; however he was shocked to find out about the beauty of her voice, though untrained. He would return night after night hidden in the shadows to listen and to secretly guide her under the watchful eyes of the Blue Spirit. He followed her through the streets of the fair city. He would wait for her behind the walls of the city. Some times he would try to attract her attention. More then once, he would walk behind her in the market bazaar; however she did not see him. She appeared, for that matter, to see nobody but the Spirit. She was all indifference. Li suffered in silence, for she was very beautiful, while as Li he was shy and dared not to confess his love, even to himself. Then there was the Gala, why did she laugh when he reminded her of the incident of the necklace? Why did she not recognize him? He had spent nearly six months tracking her and her companions across the world. And why had she now decided write to him?

The Southern Shore of Lake Laogai was reached at last. Li walked into the musty parlor of the Aoi Shuǐ and saw Princess Katara standing before him, smiling and showing no astonishment. "So you have come." She smirked. "I had a feeling that I would find you here when I came back from the market, some one told me to expect you, Li or should I say Prince Zuko."

"Who?" Prince Zuko stuttered.

"Your sweet Uncle sent a messenger bird stating the time you left and I did the math." Her smirk grew more obvious.

There was silence for some time; and then the banished prince asked "Did my uncle also tell you that I have been thinking about you nonstop from the moment I saw your icy blue eyes?"

Princess Katara's blushed turned to an unnatural shade of red and turned her head away. With a trembling voice she said "Me? Surely you are joking?" she fell into a fit of giggles.

"Don't laugh, Katara; I am quite serious." Prince Zuko scowled.

"I did not send for you to tell me things such as these." She replied gravely.

The banished prince paused for a moment failing the attempt to get his temper in check. "You 'sent for me,' hell Katara; you knew that your letter would have me rushing to this Agni forsaken lake just to speak with you! You knew I have been trying to speak with you in private for some time now. What did you think I was going to tie you to a tree again and demand you tell me where the Avatar is?!'

"I ready don't know what I thought, Zuko. Perhaps I was wrong to write you. With the events that have been happening lately and your sudden appearance on the night of the Gala I figured that it may be best if we spoke before I told Aang and my brother that your are here in Ba Sing Se?" There was something in the water tribe princess's attitude that struck Prince Zuko not quite right. It was almost like she was trying to hide something. He did not feel any honesty in the words she spoke; far from it the sad tenderness that shined in her eyes told him that. But why were her eyes so sad? That is the main thing he wanted to know and what was irritating him?

"When you awoke in my Uncle's tea house, why did you say that you did not recognize me?" he stared into her eyes. She couldn't do anything but lose her eyes and nod. "Then why did you pretend that you had never before met me?" His tone was so rough that the princess could only stare into the golden eyes of the banished fire princes with out replying. "What's the matter? Did you suddenly lose the ability to speak?" he growled, "Well, will answer for you. It was because there was some one else outside that was in your way, Katara, some one whom would go into a jealous rage if he were to find out that you could be interested in anyone else!"

"You were listening to my conversation." The water princess replied coldly, "How dare you. What else did you here?" she glared.

"I know that Jet was not the only one to see you that night." The princess grew deathly pale when she heard his words and two tear trickled, like two diamonds down her caramel cheeks. "Katara?" he tried to take her in him arms, however she fled with great speed up to her room.

Princess Katara remained locked in her room for the remainder of the day the banished prince figured it was something to do with the unnatural rustling in the trees around the lake. That did not matter to him because he knew that she would wait until nightfall, when her abilities were at their strongest to return to the lake. After all his other persona promised her something special for the anniversary of her mother's death. When he heard her door open and the light footsteps of the waterbender make their way down the hall he lowered himself out of the window with an oddly shaped package nestled under his arm. The water tribe maiden made her way to the water's edge before carefully removing her slippers and wading out to thigh deep water, paying no mind that her lovely silk kimono was being ruined.

A few days later, when another Dai-Li tragedy was found in the streets of the upper ring Long Feng examined the rebel leader Jet to find out what happened with the Water tribe princess at Lake Laogai. I quote the questions and answers as given in the official report:

Long Feng: Did the princess see you following her while you were at Lake Laogai?

Jet: No sir, although, when walking behind her, I took very little precaution in being stealthy.

However she seemed to not hear me and acted as though I was not there. She quietly waded out into the water to the point that she was nearly up to her waist, then simply waited as though some one was to come out of the water.

Long Feng: Was there any one else around the lake bed?

Jet: I did not see any one; and if there had been I should have been able to see them. The moon was full and made the night quite bright.

Long Feng: Was it possible that some one was hiding in the trees like you were?

Jet: Not likely since most of the trees had little to no leaves on them.

Long Feng: So explain to me again, when the waterbender entered the water music started to play?

Jet: Yes, I followed Katara to the water of the southern lake bed; as soon as she entered the water I hid myself in the higher branches of one of the taller trees. She stood in the water for a few moments before midnight, then at precisely midnight music. At first I thought it was my imagination, then the music became louder, it appeared to be coming from the water itself. If I was not mistaken it was a pipa. I know that sound anywhere, my mother used to play the pipa for me before the Fire Nation burned down my village. I watched as Katara danced in the water completely entranced with the melody. When the music stopped and Katara left to return to the inn, I seemed to hear a chuckling noise from the rocks by the shore; it was like the rocks were all laughing at me. The next thing I remember is a blue face with long white teeth staring at me before everything went dark and Joo Dee woke me up the next morning.

Long Feng: I see… Jet the Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai.

**Author's Notes:** Well this chapter came to me rather easy and I must admit Pipa is my current favorite word. If you are wondering what a Pipa is: it's the guitar like instrument that Lt. Ji was playing for music night. The pipa is actually a four-stringed Lute, one of the oldest Chinese musical instruments which appeared in Chinese written texts of the second century BC. Xi Liu of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD). I just get a giggle out of Jet saying Pipa it sounds like such a girly word.

Pipa –snickers-

The inn's name (Aoi Shuǐ) is a combination of Japanese and Chinese Aoi is Japanese for blue and Shuǐ is Chinese for waters. I figured giving the inn an odd name and I really did not want to stick with one nationality.

See you next time in Chapter six which, I am planning on calling A visit to the Tea House.


	7. Chapter Six: A Visit to the Tea House

**Author's notes: **_This is a merge of the Phantom of the Opera (book) if you have not read the book I highly suggest it and Avatar the last Air bender._

_All rights reserved _

_The Phantom of the Opera is by Gaston Letoux and the property of (I've been checking for the copyright info and I have come up with none so I am gonna assume that it belongs to the Estate of Gaston Letoux) _

_Avatar the Last Air bender is created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko all rights reserved by Nickelodeon_

**Chapter Six A Visit to the Mysterious Tea House**

Fire Princess Azula decided to have Ladies Mai and Ty Lee investigate the matter of the tea house that the waterbender frequented in the lower rings of the city.

Leaving behind them the broad walls of the upper rings outside the vast array of the court splendor to the trains and all of it's track leading to nearly to everywhere you could possibly imagine in a city as grand as Ba Sing Se. They made their way through the market street of the refugees and looked at the tea house in question. They could not see it too clearly because it was in half shadows due to the large trees that branches covered over the dull green and brown of the building.

They were almost along in the huge, gloomy tea house; and a great silence surrounded them. It was the time when most of the city's lower class has gone home for the night. The refugees had deserted the streets for the time being, leaving an eerie calm in the environment. A few rays from the street lamp light, a wan, sinister light, that seemed stolen from an expiring luminary, fell through the door's opening. Everything in this deceptive light had adopted a disturbing and fantastic shape. Inside the tea house the tables and chairs looked like the angry side of a mountain, whose sharp cliffs would gladly impale a weary traveler who has lost their footing. Ladies Mai and Ty Lee made for the curtained room in the far left hand of the house, ploughing their way like a pair of sailors who leave to their ship and try to struggle to the shore through the ruff waves after a hurricane. Around the top of the door frame hung dolls and masks, grinned and grimaced, laughing and jeering at poor Lady Ty Lee's distress. And yet Lady Mai seemed to recognize the dolls. Their names were Hei Bei, Oma, Shu, Chang'e Tui, La, Makoto, Kyoshii, Suzan, Gyantou, Byaaku, Roku, Hotaru, Agni, Izanagi, and Koh, whom we all know him for being the stealer of faces, looked down upon the tow disguised fire nation women who had ended up clutching to each other like two children afraid of the dark.

I had said that they were distressed. At least, I presume so. By reading Lady Mai's report to the Fire Nation Princess I had gathered that she was impressed, and from what I have researched from her father's Memoirs she was not one who was easily impressed. To quote Lady Mai's Report:

_'Per Azula's request, Ty Lee and myself went to check out a pathetic excuse of a tea shop that the Avatar's water bender is said to frequent. I would do just about anything to get out of the palace and, away from the sad excuse that they call their king and is smelly pet bear , that I've had the pleasure of being assigned to clean up after. At first glance at the dirty semblance of a building it looked like every other boring piece of architecture of the dull city, until we went inside and I must admit, the atmosphere in there was like nothing I had ever seen before, above the curtained room that the owner said the waterbender always sits in, there were various dolls and masks of sprits, gods, avatars, and guardians from all four nations. They all seemed to be pointed in a manor to drive off any one from the room. Upon entering the room I noticed a figure behind one of the support beams cloaked in shadows. Ty Lee must have seen it as well. Ty Lee said nothing nor did I. I instinctly went for my one of my knives while Ty Lee seized my arm and shuttered. We stood in place for some time, with out moving, with our eyes fixed on the same point; but the figure had disappeared. After the encounter we left the tea house and communicated our impressions to each other and spoke about the shape. However what Ty Lee saw and what I saw were two completely different things. I had seen a lean build frame with a grinning blue face, whereas Ty Lee saw what appeared to be a woman cloaked in shades of navy and violet. _

_Shortly afterwards Ty Lee and me returned to the room in the tea house, then we took the liberty of moving all of the furniture, lifted the covers on the table and chairs, and even went through the lengths of opening all the curtains of the dimly lit room. However neither Ty Lee or myself were able to determine what the shape was. Altogether, the room was like any other room in this pigeon-rat trap hell hole. '_

"Some one is trying to make a fool out of me!" Princess Azula glared. "There is another one of the king's useless festivals this Saturday, ladies: perhaps we should enjoy the festivities from this Tea House, ladies?"

**Author's notes**: _Ok, ninety percent of the dolls and masks that are named I pretty much came up with. _

_I found this chapter pretty hard to write because of Mai's character, I am not good with emo characters so I may have came off a little too over the top with her. _

_The Next couple of chapters are going to be longer and allot more fun to write, sometimes these chapters that build up for stuff later on are a bore but I promise you that there is a good reason why I put them in. I will try to have the next chapter up very soon (I just need to figure out what song I should have Jun sing as Oma,)_


	8. Chapter Seven: TheCataclysmicPerformance

_**Disclaimer**: All rights reserved _

_The Phantom of the Opera is by Gaston Letoux and the property of (I've been checking for the copyright info and I have come up with none so I am gonna assume that it belongs to the Estate of Gaston Letoux) _

_Avatar the Last Air bender is created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko all rights reserved by Nickelodeon_

_Needless to say I don't anything with this._

**Chapter Seven The Cataclysmic Performance**

On the Saturday morning, upon reaching her main chambers, Princess Azula found a letter from the Blue Spirit, worded in the following terms:

_'My Dear Princess,_

_So it shall be war between us? If you still care about your cover, here is my ultimatum. It consists of the care of the four following conditions:_

_One: You must stay away from the Tea House I have previously mentioned; I shall expect it to be free of you and you imbecile minions tonight and from this day forward._

_Two: Make sure the part of Oma shall be sung tonight by the Water bending Princess. Never mind that crow Jun, she will be ill._

_Three: I absolutely insist that Long Feng and the Dai Li stop spying on the Water Tribe Princess._

_For: Let me know by a letter handed to Aunt Wu, the Fortune teller of the Upper Rings, who will see to that it reaches me._

_If you refuse, I will give the Earth King not only your and your friend's identities, I will see to it that you along with Long Feng and all of the members of the Dai Li are thrown in prison._

_Take my advice and be warned,_

_Blue Spirit'_

"I am beginning to grow very annoyed with this Spirit business." Princess Azula crushed the letter. Shortly after the letter was no more the princess marched her way to Long Feng's private office. "Long Feng!" she growled "You better deal with this Spirit trouble maker before I feed you to that ridiculous pet bear of the king. Tossing the letter at the Grand Secretary, allowing him to read the latest letter from the Blue Spirit.

Just then, Lady Ty Lee entered the room, "Azula guess what, some big muscle-y guy wants to meet with you." The rather giddy gymnast beamed.

"What do you mean there is someone who wants to meet with me?" the Fire Princess's eyes narrowed.

"Gosh Azula, I don't know. He said he wanted to talk to the person in charge, He said his business is urgent, and he's pretty mad." Lady Ty Lee looked puzzled.

"Send him in." Princess Azula rubbed her forehead, willing away the migraine she was developing. A Mister Xin Fu barged into the green lit room. "Who is he?" the Fire Nation Princess turned to the Grand Secretary.

"Xin Fu, he is in charge of the stables that I am holding the Avatar's pet bison." Long Feng explained calmly.

"Not anymore." The stable master glared. "The bison is missing, and I am sure you precious little pet, spy has something to do with it."

"What do you mean the bison is missing?! How long has it been gone!?" Long Feng raised his voice.

"Gone, vanished, the blasted animal has completely disappeared. It's been missing since this morning, and I'm sure your little pet Jet, has something to do with it. Allow me to take care of him." Master Xin Fu slammed his fist into the palm of his other hand.

"That will not be necessary Xin Fu, I'll handle the matter of Jet myself. Speak of this to no one." Long Feng waved Master Xin Fu off.

"Seems to me, that you are not in as much control as you think." Princess Azula smirked as she walked out of the room.

As the disguised Fire Nation Princess left Long Feng's office a Joo Dee knocked on the door of the office. "Excuse me sir, but there is a Lady here named Aunt Wu that is waiting in the main pallor to see you. She says that she is expect…"

The poor Joo Dee did not even complete her sentience. She saw Long Feng's face; and a terrible sight it was. The Grand Secretary's features wear completely distorted by anger. He seemed ready to explode. He stood where he was for a moment, saying nothing. He could not speak, he was so angry. But then suddenly he acted, first his left arm seized upon the person of the frightened Joo Dee and made her describe so unexpected a semi circle that she uttered a despairing cry. Next, his right foot imprinted its sole on the pale green dress which certainly had never before undergone a similar outrage in a similar place. The events happened so quickly that the Joo Dee, when she found herself outside, in the passage, was still quite bewildered and seemed not to understand.

Around the same time, the Diva Jun, who had a small house of her own on the eastern wall of the upper ring, rang for her maid, who drought her letters to her in bed. Among them was an anonymous missive, written in gold ink, in a hesitating, clumsy hand, which read:

'If you appear tonight, you must be prepared for a great misfortune at the very moment you open your mouth to sing. A misfortune much worse than death it's self.'

The letter took away Madam Jun's appetite for her breakfast. She quickly pushed away her egg custard tart, sat up hi bed and thought hard. This was not her first letter of the kind which she had received, but she had one couched in such threatening terms. She thought herself, at the time, the victim of a hundred thousand jealous attempts and went about saying that she had a secret enemy who has sworn to ruin her reputation. She would some times pretend that a wicked plot was being hatched against her, a cabal which would come to a head one of those days, however she added that she was not the woman to be intimidated.

The truth is that, if there was a cabal, it was lead by Madam Jun herself against the poor sweet Southern Water Tribe Princess Katara, who had no idea of it. Madam Jun had never forgiven the princess for the triumph which she had achieved in taking her place at a moment's notice. When Madam Jun heard of the astounding reception that was bestowed upon the young princess, she was at once cured of the incipient attack of bronchitis and a bad fit of sulking against the royal court and she worked with all of her might to 'smother' her rival, enlisting the services of influential members of court to persuade the Earth King not to give Princess Katara another opportunity for a fresh triumph. Certain now the gossip which had begun to extol the talent of the princess now interested themselves only in the fame of Madam Jun. Lastly, in the royal court itself, the celebrated but completely heartless and soulless diva made the most scandalous remarks about the princess and tried to cause her endless minor unpleasantness.

The first thing the diva saw out side her window was a wagon with a coffin in the back, She was very superstitious; and the letter had convinced her that she was running the most serious risk that night. She collected all of her supporters from the court, told them that she was threatened at that evening's performance with a plot organized by the Water Tribe Princess and declared that they must play a trick on the wench by filling the house with her, Madam Jun's admirers. Madam Jun had n lack of them, had she? She relied upon them to hold themselves prepared for any eventuality and to silence her adversaries, if, as she feared they created a disturbance.

Long Feng has sent a Joo Dee to the diva's home to ask after the diva's health and returned with the assurance that she was perfectly well and that, 'was she dying,' she would sing the part of Oma that evening. The Joo Dee has urged her, in her leader's name, to commit no imprudence, to stay at home all day and to be careful; and Madam Jun could not help, after the Joo Dee left, comparing this unusual and unexpected advise with the threats contained in that one letter.

It was close to day break when the post brought her a second anonymous letter in the same elaborate gold writing as the first. It was short and said simply:

'_You have a terrible fever. If you are wise, you will see that it is madness to try and sing at tonight's festivities.'_

Madam Jun sneered, shrugged her pale shoulders and sang one or two notes to reassure herself.

Her contacts in the royal court were faithful to their promise. They were all at the outdoor theater that night, but looked in vain for the fierce conspirators whom they were instructed to suppress. The only unusual thing was the presence of Long Feng and a group of five Dai-Li agents sitting in the box close to the stage. Madam Jun's friends thought that, perhaps Long Feng had wind, on their side, of the proposed disturbance then and there; but this was an unjustifiable supposition, as the reader knows that Land Feng was thinking of nothing but the Spirit.

_The laughing voices of lovers passing by makes me get all choked up._

_Even though the rain has stopped on this weekend afternoon,_

_I'm walking the streets all alone, even though I want to be with you._

The Diva, had barely started Oma's first in counter on the mountain, when Long Feng bent over to his partner, Princess Azula and asked "Well, no sign of the Spirit as of yet."

'Silence, we do not want to be in such a hurry to discover him not here." Replied the Fire Princess. "The performance has just begun; and you know full well that whoever this spirit person is they know to be patient."

The first few verses went without incident, which did not surprise the Fire Princess. "Not a bad turn out considering they here the same Opera every time the Earth King decides to through a party."

Long Feng and Pointed to on of his Joo Dee sitting in the left wing sitting next to the rebel leader, Jet. " You see the Joo Dee there?"

"What about her?' the Fire Princess yawned.

"That Joo Dee, my dear Princess is the new handler to the Avatar's waterbender." Long Feng explained.

"And that concerns me how?" Princess Azula played with a loose strand of her hair.

"It concerns you, Princess because she will be reporting to you everything that the water tribe girl does." Long Feng replied.

_I should have known this._

_If I fell in love with you that much,_

_I would hurt just as much._

_Even though I know it's heart-wrenching,_

_I keep thinking only of you,_

_even when I can't see you._

Students, citizens, soldiers, girls and matrons whirled light heartedly outside the market place with the figures of badger moles in their arms as Oma made her entrance on to the new scene. Princess Katara looked absolutely charming in her Earth solder's clothes; and Madam Jun's noble friend's expected to hear her greeted with an ovation which would have enlighten them as to the intentions of her friends. However nothing had happened as of yet.

On the other hand, each time Oma had crossed the stage and sang another verse allotted to her:

_Even though I know I shouldn't think about_

_how I wish we could always be together,_

_even now, the voice of my heart,_

_which I've tried to suppress, seems to overflow endlessly..._

_so much so that it hurts._

_I should have known._

Madam Jun received with enthusiastic applause It was so unexpected and so uncalled for that those people who did not know about the rumors looked at one another and asked what was happening. Oma seated herself on a stone bench in a garden:

_I just can't keep my love for you inside,_

_all to myself._

As Jun sang these lines, with her bunch of panda Lilies in her hand, Princess Katara raised her head and saw Jet sitting next to Joo Dee, and from that moment, her voice seemed less sure, less crystal clear than usual. Something seemed to deaden and dull her singing.

"What a strange girl that Water Tribe Princess is?" Said one of Madam Jun's Noble friend's said in the stalls, almost aloud. "The other day, she was divine; and tonight she is simply atrocious. She has no experience, no training that's for sure."

_But now, it's a precious thought._

_I believe in the truth only I see,_

_and keep on loving you._

The banish prince watched from the shadows, shaking his head as he crept behind the stage and up the Jacob's ladder. As he climbed he recalled the letter he received from her this morning:

_'My dear young hunter,_

_You must have the courage not to see me again, not to speak to me again. If you love me just a little like you said you do, please do this for me, for me who will never forget you, my dear prince. My life and the life of my family depend upon it._

_Your little water bender.'_

Oma began to sing once more:

_I should have known._

_I just can't keep my love for you inside,_

_all to myself._

At that moment, at that identical moment, the terrible thing happened. Madam Jun croaked like a bull toad. "Co-ack!"

There was consternation on Madam Jun's face and consternation on the faces of all the members of the audience. Long Feng could not suppress an exclamation of horror and shock. Ever one felt tat the thing was not natural, that there was some sort of evil magic behind it. That bull toad smelled of brimstone. Poor, wretched, despairing, crushed Jun.

The uproar of the courtyard was indescribable. If the thing had happened to any one but Madam Jun, they would have been booed. But every one knew how perfect an instrument like the diva's voice was; and there was no display of anger only of complete horror and dismay which solders would have felt if they had witnessed the catastrophic annihilation of the Air Nomads. And even then they would have seen and understood.

But here this bull toad was incomprehensible! So much so that, after some moments spent in asking herself if she had really heard that note, that sound, that infernal noise issued from her throat, she attempted to persuade herself that it did not come from her, that she was a victim of some sort of illusion, an illusion of the ear, and not of the treachery on the part of her own voice.

Mean while in the Grand Secretary's private box, Long Feng and Princess Azula had turned very pale. This extraordinary and inexplicable incident dilled them with a dread which was more awful inasmuch, as for some time, they had been within the direct influence of the spirit. The had felt his hot breath. Some of the members of the Dai-li's hair were standing on end. Other were wiping the perspiration from their foreheads. Yes, the Spirit was there, around them , hidden in the shadows. They were sure that some one else was with them. Some trembled, others considered running away. No one dared to make a movement or exchange a word which might have told the spirit that they knew that he was there.

"Co-ack!"

Their exclamation of horror was heard all over the court yard. Leaning over the rails of their box, they stared at Madam Jun as though they did not recognize her, That infernal woman with her "co-ack!", must have given the signal for some sort of catastrophe that would alert the Earth King of the Fire Nation Princess. They were waiting for the catastrophe. The Spirit had warned them that it would come. Long Feng was heard calling to the Diva, in a muffled voice "Well go on!"

No, Madam Jun did not go on. Bravely, heroically, she started afresh on the fatal line at the end of which the bull toad had appeared. An pregnant silence succeeded the uproar. Again, Madam Jun's voice alone filled the resounding court yard:

_I should have known. –_Co-ack!

_I just can't keep my love for you inside, _-Co-ack!

_all to mys _–Co-ack

The bull toad had also started afresh!

The court yard broke into a wild tumult, Both Princess Azula and Long Feng collapsed into their chairs and dared not to move, they did not have the strength; the spirit was chuckling behind their backs. Then at last, they distinctly heard his voice in their right ears, the impossible voice, the mouth less voice, saying "She is singing tonight to catch the court yard aflame!"

With one accord, they turned their eyes and watched as the Joo Dee that was to watch the water princess caught fire. With thousands of shouts of terror, A wild rush for the exits followed,

The papers of the next day state that there was numerous injured and one killed. The fire had started on the left wing of the royal court yard. A woman who had just began her service to the Earth King's Grand Secretary, Long Feng.

**Author's notes: **

_Xin Fu: is the name of the long haired bounty hunter that is after Toph._

_I will admit this chapter was a pain in the but because there was so much I wanted to put in it and I even cut back on it. I will have the next chapter up before the weekend rest assured. I really want to get to the one after this one so I will be working extra hard to get them done by this weekend._


	9. Chapter eight: The Mysterious Palanquin

_**Disclaimer**: All rights reserved _

_The Phantom of the Opera is by Gaston Letoux and the property of (I've been checking for the copyright info and I have come up with none so I am gonna assume that it belongs to the Estate of Gaston Letoux) _

_Avatar the Last Air bender is created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko all rights reserved by Nickelodeon_

_Needless to say I don't anything with this._

Chapter Eight: The Mysterious Palanquin

That tragic evening was a bad one for all concerned. Madam Jun fell ill. As for the young Princess Katara, she had disappeared after the performance. A week elapsed during which she was seen neither the Palace or anywhere in the upper rings.

Prince Zuko, of curse, was the first to be astonished at the absence of the singing Water Tribe Princess. She had missed her regular appointment with his alter ego with no word. He send multiple messages to her house and received no reply to any of them whether they were signed 'Blue Spirit" or Li. He was alarmed when he did not see her name on the Opera's program during the next festival in the upper rings. Oma and Shu was to be played with out her.

One night, he went to her villa to inquire about her disappearance. He found nothing but the Avatar's lemur, looking extremely terrified. The lemur's pale green eyes bloodshot. It appeared that the animal had not eaten for multiple days. Just by looking at the small house told Prince Zuko that the water bender had not been home for days.

The tea serving prince left the villa a prey to the gloomiest thoughts. "What if I pushed Azula too far?" he mumbled to himself as he looked down at the tiny trembling lemur in his arms. Prince Zuko resolved, his alter persona's identity exposed or not, to go and enquire at Aunt Wu's fortune house. He remembered the letter the Princess Katara wrote, begging him not to make any attempt to see her. However the way Jet had been looking at her, the plots of his sister and the Grand Secretary, his conversation with her at the inn by the lake made him suspect some sort of conspiracy to silence the poor maiden.

He was a bundle of nerves when he rang the bell at the little house in the far north corner of the middle ring. The green pained door was opened by a little girl, no older then the Avatar with wild pig tales standing on each side of her head. He asked if he could speak with Aunt Wu and was told that she was not receiving visitors today. "Take this to her then, please." He handed the girl an ivory Earth Nation knife.

The girl later to be discovered to be named Meng, soon returned and showed him into a small and scantily furnished parlor, in which a small fire was set up in the center. "Aunt Wu, begs Mister Li to excuse her, she will be joining you shortly." Meng bowed as she left the room.

Five minutes later an elderly woman dressed all in shades of gold and far too much makeup entered the ill-lit room, "Mister Li," she paused "or should I call you by one of your other names? Perhaps the one that I received letters for?" She smirked as she walked to a large vase on the floor filled with what the prince could tell hog chicken bones. "It's so nice to finally meet the young water girl's powerful bender, you know when I first meet the girl she had me read her entire future, even down to what she should eat for breakfast for the next morning." She turned her attention to the prince and signaled him to come to her.

Confused at what the fortune teller said the prince dumbly nodded and made his way to the mystic's side. "madam… Do you know where Katara is?" The old woman sighed and asked for the prince to pick a bone from the vase. "What!?" his temper getting the better of him.

"Please pick a bone and then toss it into the fire, I need to do your reading." She calmly replied. The banished prince narrowed his eyes and did what he was told before sinking down on a mat by the fire. He stared at Aunt Wu as she studied the bone as it cracked in the fire. "Hmm, very interesting." She rubbed her chin. "You have a very twisted future, young prince. I see two paths and one dead end set out before you." The old fortune teller paused as she observed the bone crackle "You will have to chose between what you want and what will make you happy. Each of these choices are guarded by a dragon, one red the other blue. Do I suggest that you do not listen to the honeyed words of the blue dragon, she will tell you only things that you will want to here and will lead you to the path of pain and suffering. Instead, listen to the words of the red dragon, he is loving and will stand by you. You will understand the meaning of these words soon enough." The fortune teller looked into the prince's golden eyes and continued. " As for the answer that you currently seek, wait until the early hours before dawn and go down to the very edge of the inner wall on the east side of the lower ring, it is said that there is a palanquin with two people in it, one a maiden who stares out of the window, eyes blue like water, the other a man, no older then you I believe. Be careful not to let the man see you, his jealousy is great and he has ties with a higher power in the city."

Shortly after hearing the words of Aunt Wu, he walked home to his Uncle's tea house in a confused state. He could have stuck himself, banged his heads against the walls, to try to understand what the old woman was talking about. To think the water maiden believed in the utter nonsense that woman spout out. For the remainder of the day and well into the night the prince sat in the corner and meditated forgetting for the time being the madness of which the old woman spoke of.

Early the next morning the prince dressed in haste, prepared to forget his distress by flinging himself in a fool's hope of finding the water tribe princess. By three o'clock in the morning, hiding in a tree, with out the cover of his mask, the prince was beginning to curse the fortune teller and himself for his gullibility. It was freezing out, and the road lay deserted and very bright under the moon's light. He had been indulging in this mad man's excuse of hope for an hour or so, when a palanquin turned into the road and came quietly in his direction, at a slow pace. Prince Zuko could not make out the faces of the men carrying the palanquin on their shoulders but did recognize the uniform. "Dai-Li" he growled. As it approached, he saw that a young woman was leaning her head from the window. And suddenly, the moon shed a pale glow over her features.

"Katara!" he called to her in spite of himself. The sacred name of his love had spring from his heart and to his lips. He could not keep it back no matter how much his brain protested. He would have given anything to withdraw it, for that name, proclaimed in the stillness of the early hours of the morning, had acted as though it was the preconerted signal for a furious rush on the whole turn out, which dashed pasted him before he could pt into execution his plan of jumping from the tree he sat in to in front of the palanquin. The palanquin's window was shut and the maiden's face had disappeared. And the palanquin was now no more then a blacken spot on the soft dirt road.

He called out to her again, "Katara!"

There was no reply. He was left alone in the mist of the silence. With a tired body a he started down that cold, desolate road and into the pale, dead night. Nothing was colder that his heart, nothing was hotter then his jealousy, he had fallen in love with and angel and now he was beginning to hate the woman that she was and all of her damned secrets.

Zuko, how that little nymph of the South has tricked you. Was it really necessary to have so fresh and young a face, a forehead so shy and always ready to cover it's self with the pink blush of modesty in order to pass in the lonely night, in a palanquin and pair, accompanied y a mysterious lover? Surely there should be some limit to hypocrisy and lying. She had passed with out answering his shouts, it had angered him greatly.

His uncle found him in the morning sitting on his bed. He was still dressed and his uncle feared, at the sight of his face, some sort of injustice had occurred. His uncle held out a letter for the troubled youth and Prince Zuko snatched the letter out of his hand with out a second thought. He had recognized the Princess's handwriting. She said:

'_Zuko,_

_Go to the Masked ball at the Palace on the night after tomorrow. At exactly midnight, be in the little room behind the chimney-piece of the thrown room. Stand near the door that leads to the west court yard. Do not mention this appointment to another living soul Wear a white chou and see that you are well masked. As you love me, do not let yourself be recognized._

_Katara'_

**Author's notes:** This chapter had to be the hardest chapter for me to write. I had to have gone through 3 rewrites and I am still not happy with it. –shakes fist at the chapter-

Anyways bits of info for people who do not know what it is.

Palanquin: A palanquin, also known as palkhi, is a covered sedan chair (or litter) carried on four poles.

Chou: Is basically the clown in a Chinese Opera.


	10. Chapter nine: The Masked Ball

_**Disclaimer**: All rights reserved _

_The Phantom of the Opera is by Gaston Letoux and the property of (I've been checking for the copyright info and I have come up with none so I am gonna assume that it belongs to the Estate of Gaston Letoux) _

_Avatar the Last Air bender is created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko all rights reserved by Nickelodeon_

_Needless to say I don't anything with this._

**Chapter Nine The Masked Ball**

The outer shell of the scroll was covered in a mud and was improperly sealed. It bore the words 'To be handed to the Head Tea Server of the Jasmine Dragon: Li,' followed by the tea house's address, in shaky, hurried brush strokes. It must have been thrown out of the palanquin's window in the hope that some kind citizen would find the parchment and deliver it, which was exactly what happened.

Prince Zuko read the letter over and over again with fevered vision. His patience with the water bender was starting to grow thin. 'Just who does that peasant think she is?' he clenched his teeth. "The nerve of her.' He mumbled to himself as he shoved the white bundle of clothing into the merchant's arms. The poor clothing merchant could not help but to stutter as he quoted the price to the angered teenager before him. The banished prince grumbled as he paid the merchant and stomped his way back to the home he shared with his uncle. He went up to his room and slammed the door behind him completely ignoring the bewildered look his uncle gave him.

The scared prince spent the remainder of the day locked in his room, pacing back and forth, cursing random objects, occasionally throwing dirty glances at the offensive costume, and sorting out his mixed thoughts about the mysterious girl who had captured his heart.

For a moment he had imagined the water maiden forgetting her duty to the Avatar to protect him and his uncle from being discovered. This transformed into a conception of an unfortunate, innocent girl, the victim of the lunacy of the hidden world of the politics of the child Avatar and the war, But to what extent was she truly a victim? Who's prisoner are she? What was the secret she went through great lengths into hiding? His asked himself these questions with a cruel anguish; but whatever pain he felt did not compare to the unadulterated anger which he felt as he thought of the lies and deceit that surrounded the water bender. What had happened since her and her comrades entered this city? What influence of the Dai-Li has she undergone? What monster had carried her off and by what means?

By what means indeed, but what of their music? He knew some what of Princess Katara's story. After her mother's death, she secretly acquired a distrust for life. She only showed nothing but optimism to the world around her. She traveled the world with her brother and the Avatar like a smiling soulless doll. He noticed the pain in her eyes when he first lowered the gain plank on the feeble outpost her tribe was reduced to. He could not help but stare at her as she clinged to the old woman besides her. Those sad pools of icy spring water that were her eyes. And then suddenly a few weeks after he appeared upon her as the Blue Spirit she started to show life again. She sang to her heart's content. He had sang Oma in Oma and Shu and triumphed!

The Blue Spirit, for weeks, the Blue Sprit had been giving Princess Katara lessons. After all Prince Zuko was an excellent singing master. But now some one else had been taking her him away from him, and his was taking her for rides in the lower rings.

Prince Zuko's fingers clutched at his flesh, drawing small drops of blood on his chest, right above his jealous heart. In his inexperience, he now asked himself with anger, what game was the water maiden playing? Up to what point could a simple Water Tribe Princess make a fool out of the banished Fire Prince, who was quite new to love in everyway.

Thus did Prince Zuko's thoughts fly from one extreme to the other. He no longer whether to pity Princess Katara or curse her; and he pitied and cursed her turn and turn about. At all events he put on the robes of the White Chou.

The hour of the appointment had came at last. With his face in a hideous grinning mask, painted with gaudy stripes, looking very much like a snowball that got clawed in the face by a hostile cat. The prince thought him self most ridiculous, Men of the world do not go to a festival in a flamboyant costume. It was laughable. One thought, however, consoled the banished prince: he would certainly not be recognized.

This masked ball, being held in honor of the King's birthday was an exceptional affair. Numbers of noblemen had arranged to go, accompanied by a whole cohort of various types of artists and pupils of the University, who by midnight, began to create a tremendous din. Prince Zuko had arrived at five minutes to midnight. He did not linger to look at the motley dress robes displayed all the way up the marble stair case to the palace. It was one of the riches settings of the world. Prince Zuko allowed no facetious make to draw him into a conquest of wits, replied to no jests and shook off the familiarity if a number of couple who had already become a trifle too intoxicated. Crossing thrown room and escaping from the mad whirl of drunken ladies of the court in hand which he was momentary caught by a Miss Star, someone Prince Zuko would rather not be near, she was a tad too touchy for his tastes. He at last entered the room mentioned in the water maiden's letter. He found it a tad crammed; for this small space was the point where all the young nobles used to hide from their over conservative parents. The fun, here, was fast and furious.

The tea serving prince leant against the far door and waited. He however, did not wait too long. A black Chou passed and gave a quick squeeze to the tips of is fingers. He understood the meaning and followed the black Chou. "Katara, is that you?" he whispered, between his clenched teeth.

The black Chou turned around quickly and raised her fingers to the lips of her pouting mask, no doubt to warn him not to mention her name again while near the palace. Prince Zuko continued to follow her in silence.

He was afraid of losing her, after meeting her again in such odd circumstances. The grudge he was nursing for her was gone. He was sure, even now that she has nothing to reproach herself white, however particular and inexplicable her conduct may seem. He was ready to make any display of clemency, forgiveness, or even grovel. He was in fact in love, and there was no doubt that he would soon receive an explanation of her curious absence. The black Chou would turn around from time to time to see if the white Chou was still following her.

As Prince Zuko once more passed through the great thrown room, this time in wake of his guide, he could not help but notice a group of nobles gathering around a person whose disguise, eccentric air and frightening appearance was causing a sensation. It was a man no older then the banished prince dressed in rich shades scarlets. From his shoulders and over his head hung an immense blue velvet cloak, which trailed along the floor like he was some sort of king. Upon his face he wore a skull like mask covering up all ways to recognize who the person was.

One of the boulder nobleman's daughters placed her hand on the mysterious scarlet clad man, but a quick had shot out of a crimson sleeve and violently seized the poor girls hand; and she feeling the bone breaking grip on her wrist let out a furious grasp of dread and uttered a cry of pain before being let go. She quickly ran away being pursued by the jeers of some of the bystanders.

It was at this precise moment that Prince Zuko passed in front of the cloaked figure, who has just happened to turn in his direction. He narrowed his eyes, he did not know why but he did not like this man. It could be because of the way that the black Chou chose that moment to quicken her pace. Prince Zuko was sure of it, that man was the one in the A palanquin two nights before.

The banished prince wanted to through caution to the wing and charge forward, forgetting the princess; but the black Chou, caught him by the arm and dragged him from the throne room far from the drunken crowds, far away from the Long Fend and the false Kyoshii warriors, and far away from the hooded masquerader.

The maiden in the black Chou costume kept on turning back and, apparently, on two occasions, saw something that had startled her, for she speed up her pace and Prince Zuko's as though they were being pursued like common criminals. They went up two floors of the palace. Here, the stairs and corridors were almost completely deserted. The black Chou opened a hidden door and beckoned to the white Chou to follow her into the unknown room. Then the water princess, he know knew her by the sweet sound of her voice, closed the door behind them and warned him, in a low whisper, to remain at the back of the room and on no account to show himself. Prince Zuko took off his clown-like mask, however Princess Katara left hers on, and when the prince was about to demand she remove it, he was surprised to she her put her ear to the door and listen eagerly for a sound from the out side. Then she cracked the door open slightly, looked out into the hallway, and in a low voice said "They must have gone higher." Then suddenly she exclaimed, "No wait, they are coming down again!" She tried to close the done, however the prince prevented her so he could see what had frighten her. A blue cape of the man from the throne room and the stone boots from the Dai-Li were at the top steps of the stair case above him. He quickly shut the door and looked it.

"Why are they following you?" the banished stared into the sockets of the black Chou's mask. He went to grab her but she pushed him to the side.

"What do you mean? Why are who following me?" She said in a coy voice, angering the prince greatly. Prince Zuko clenched his fists so he would not erupt at the young maiden.

"Who is that man?" the scared prince demanded, his body temperature rising greatly. "He was the man I saw you with two nights ago, is he not?" the princess could do nothing but back up against the wall, unable to utter a single word. "If you will not tell me, I shall find out for myself." He turned his back to the maiden and unlocked the door and began to open it before the water bender, with uncanny speed and strength one would not think she would have, pushed the banished prince away from the door and barricaded herself in front between the door and the prince.

"You mustn't go out there, the Dai-Li they will see you." She breathed.

"Why do you care?" he shot back with venom dripping from his voice as he pushed past her and started to open the door once more.

"Please." She begged, "In the name of our love, please don't go out there."

In accents of childish hatred, he said "You lie, peasant, you do not love me and you have never loved me! How stupid do you think I am? Pretty stupid, if you expect me to fall for that. Why did you give me every reason to hope at the lake? For honest hope, peasant, for I do lack my honor, that does not mean I do not follow a code of honor and I foolishly believed that you were an honorable woman, when your only intention was to bewitch me into a false hope. You have bewitched everyone near you. You have taken a shameful advantage of your precious Avatar, who believes that you are some sort of angel, while you go about the city with mysterious men. I despise you!" with that the banished prince slammed his hand into the wall leaving a black scorched fist print. She allowed him to insult her. She only thought about one thing, to prevent him from leaving the safety of the room.

"One day, you will beg my forgiveness for those hateful words, Zuko, and I will forgive you."

He scoffed at her, "No you will drive me mad, that is what you will do. When I think that I had the hope to give my title to you, a simple Water Tribe wench!"

She slapped him "Zuko, you go to far."

"You are going to mad with all of your mind games, wench."

"You mustn't say that, I've come to tell you good bye, Zuko." She said in a grave and braking voice.

The prince steeped closer to her, staggering as he went. He would risk one more sarcastic remark "Oh, but I'll see you from time to time as I chase the Avatar."

"I'm not rejoining the others, Zuko."

"Really?" he replied with more sarcasm. "So your mystery man, is to take you away and marry you. I congratulate you. Hopefully I will wee you from time to time in the upper rings?"

"No, not in the upper rings, or anywhere else. Zuko, you will never see me again."

"Might one ask to what infernal darkness are you returning? For what hell are you leaving, or dear maiden, or for what paradise?"

"I came to tell you Zuko, but I can't tell you now, you will not believe me. You do not have any faith in me, Zuko; it is finished." She spoke in such a despairing voice that the prince had began to feel regret for any cruelty he had put her through.

"Can you just tell me what this is all about?" he placed his calloused hand on her shoulder. "You are free to speak with me; there is no one to stop you. You go about the palace dressed as a chou to come to this Agni forsaken ball. Why don't you go home? What have you been doing this past week? You seem to be more sensible, unlike your companions, Katara. Do you know what you are doing?"

The Water Tribe Princess simply took off her mask and said gravely "You would never believe me." Prince Zuko now saw her face and could not restrain an exclamation of shock. The caramel complexion of her former days was gone. Her face was pale, and a mortal pallor covered her graceful features, which the prince had known as so warm and gentile, and sorrow had furrowed them with pitiless lines and traced dark and unspeakably sad shadows under her dull, lifeless blue eyes.

"What has happened to you?" he demanded as he went to hold her, but she dodged his attempt.

"One day, I will be able to tell you. But not now." She said as she resumed her mask ; and she went away, forbidding him, with a simple gesture, to follow her.

He tried to disobey her; but she turned around and repeated her gesture of farewell with such an authority that he dared not follow. He watched her till she was out of site. Then he also went down among the crowd, hardly knowing what he was doing before he returned to his home and resumed his blue oni mask and black clothing. At two o'clock in the morning he creped down to her home , in the shadows. He slipped through the window, there was no one home. The house was completely empty. One of the lanterns was burning, turned down low. He saw some blank parchment on a little desk. He thought briefly of writing a note to her, but her heard soft footsteps walking up to the front door. He only had time to hide behind a curtain in the main room. Princess Katara entered, took off her mask with a weary movement and flung it half heartedly onto a nearby table. She signed and let her pretty head fall into her two small hands. What was she thinking of? Of the Avatar? Of her family? No for the masked prince heard her murmur "Poor Zuko." At first, he thought he must have been mistaken, To begin with, why would she pity him? He trembled as she repeated "Poor Zuko."

Katara began to write, deliberately, calmly and so placidly that the Spirit, who was trembling from the effects of her words. She wrote on, filling two, three, four sheets. Suddenly she raised her head and hid the sheets in her robes. She seemed to be listening to something. A voice, soft and honeyed seem to resonate through the walls of the small house. The voice came nearer and nearer, it came through the wall, it approached, and now the voice appeared to be in the room, in front of the Water Tribe Princess. Princess Katara rose and addressed the voice, as though some one was beside her, " I am here." She paused "I am ready. But you are late." The Masked Price, peeping from behind the curtain, could not believe his eyes, which showed him nothing. The princess's face lit up. A smile of happiness appeared on her bloodless lips, a smile like that a sick person would give when they receive the first hope of recovery.

The voice echoed through the house. "The Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai." The princess's pupils dilated and she looked as if she was a living doll.

"I am honored to accept his invitation." Prince Zuko saw the princess stretch out her arms to the voice. Strains went through the banished price's heart. Struggling against the charming voice that seemed to deprive him of all of his will and all of his energy and almost all of his lucidity, at the moment when he needed them the most, he succeeded in drawing back the curtain that hid him and he walked to where the Princess stood. She herself was moving to the back of the house, the whole was of which was occupied by a row of mirrors that reflected her image, but not his, for he was just behind and entirely covered by her. Princess Katara walked towards her image in the center mirror and the image came towards her. The two princesses, the real one and the reflection ended by touching; and Prince Zuko put out his arms to clasp the two in one sweet embrace. But he was suddenly a sharp rock rose from the floor, knocking him back. He was barely conscious when he saw not two, but four, eight, twenty Princesses spinning around him, laughing at him and fleeing so swiftly that he could not touch a single one of them. At last, everything stood still again; and he saw himself in the glass. But the maiden had disappeared. He struggled as he rose and went to the glass. He struck at the walls with his fist. Nobody, and while the room still echoed with the distant voice saying, "Lake Laogai."

Which way could she had gone? By which way would she return? Would she return? Had she not declared to the prince that everything was finished? And what did the voice mean about the Earth King and Lake Laogai? The masked prince sunk to his knees. "What the hell is going on?!"

**Author's notes**: Well that was a pain in the but to write. This will prolly be the longest chapter in the story, but we will see. I am still getting a giggle about Zuko in a Chinese Clown costume –snicker snicker-

Anywho I've been a bad Maron and have been working on my art work this week instead of writing. I'll admit it. If you are curious of my art please go to http heavenlymaron dot deviantart dot com you will see it there.


	11. Chapter Ten Forget the Man’s Voice

_**Disclaimer**__: All rights reserved _

_The Phantom of the Opera is by Gaston Letoux and the property of (I've been checking for the copyright info and I have come up with none so I am gonna assume that it belongs to the Estate of Gaston Letoux) _

_Avatar the Last Air bender is created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko all rights reserved by Nickelodeon_

_Needless to say I don't anything with this._

**Chapter Ten Forget the Man's Voice**

The day after the princess had vanished before his eyes in a sort of dazzling whirl that had still made him doubt his sanity; Prince Zuko paid another visit to Aunt Wu. When he entered the small fortune house he came upon a charming picture. Princess Katara herself was seated besides the ageing fortune teller, who was reading the life lines on the water bender's small hand. The pink and caramel had returned to the young maidens cheeks. The dark shadows around her sapphire eyes had completely disappeared. The banished prince no longer recognized the tragic face from the evening before. It was like the mask of melancholy had never appeared over those lovely features as the trace of the weird story in whose toils that mysterious maiden was struggling, he could have believed that the princess was not it's heroine at all.

She rose to her feet, showing no emotion, and offered him her hand that Aunt Wu was previously studying. The price stared at her completely dumbfounded, with out saying a single word or moving a singe muscle.

"Well young Princeling," the fortune teller started, "It seems that I have found your missing water bender."

"Aunt Wu!" the water maiden broke in promptly, while a deep crimson blush mantled to her eyes "I thought that we spoke about your teasing." Her azure eyes shot a most unladylike glare to the old woman.

"But child…" the palm reader tried to calm the young bender.

"Don't but child me, Aunt Wu You know that will not work on me. Don't force me to repeat myself on this matter again." The water princess's eyes seamed to be lit with blue fire as she snapped at the aging fortune teller. The maiden turned her heated gaze to the banished prince. "And you, don't you allow her to use her teasing manner to get her way!" a caramel finger scolded the scared fire bender. "Once she finds out that she can manipulate you with her teasing she will not let up. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal." The banished prince mumbled, keeping his rising temper in check.

The elderly fortune teller could feel the growing tension in the small pallor and could not help but sigh at how clueless these two lost souls were. Here was a young maiden trying to protect the person she loved from two different dangers little did she know that one of them was the very person she is trying to protect. Then there was the banished prince leading a double life trying to win the affections of the maiden and doesn't resize that she has all but sold her soul to insure that he is not discovered. 'Why are the young so hopeless?' Madam Wu bit back a sigh as she stood in front of the two young nobles. "I can see that you two need some privacy, I'll make my leave." The elderly fortune teller gave a shallow bow and exited out of the pallor muttering a warning to the fair waterbender "Don't forget your promise young one."

"What does she mean by promise?" the scared prince gave a chance glimpse to her water maiden.

"It will have no interest to you, your highness…." her voice was like the ice she bends.

"On the contrary, Princess," said the young tea server, in an equally frosty voice. "Anything that concerns your welfare and that of whom you consort with interests me to an extent which perhaps maybe one day you will hope to understand. I will not deny that my surprise equals my pleasure to see you here with your fortune teller and that, after what I was able to figure out, I hardly expected to see you again so soon after what had happened between you and I yesterday. I should be delighted in your return, if you were not so bent up in your little secrets and pathetic little mind games that may be fatal to you and…" the banished prince felt a slap to his marred cheek, stopping him in mid sentence.

"How dare you?!" The waterbender's crystal eyes blazed. "You have no right." Her voice began to tremble and tear streamed down her caramel skin. "You have no right, no right…" she repeated over and over again with each time becoming more and more quiet.

"Katara…" the scarred tea server attempted to wrap the fragile form of the master waterbender in his warm embrace, only to have her push him away.

"Don't." she whispered.

"Why?" he made no attempt to hide the hurt in his voice.

"I can't tell you." She whispered.

The banished prince gently lifted the water maiden's chin up so he could gaze into her eyes. "Then tell me that you will never disappear again. It is the only thing that can reassure me. I will undertake not to ask you a single question about the past, if you promise me to remain under my protection in future…."

"That is an undertaking which I have not asked of you and a promise I down right refuse to ever make to you!" she slapped his hand away from her face. "I am in control of my own actions, oh mighty Prince Zuko: you have absolutely no right to try and control them; and I will beg you to cease and desist from this point on. As for what promise I have given, it is mine to give to whomever I chose. Only one man in the world has the right to demand any account for me and that will be my husband! Well, since I have no husband and I plan to never marry!"

She lifted her head so her eyes would meet his for emphasize her words and the scared prince turned pale, not only because of the sudden changes in the waterbender's moods, but because he had caught sight of a deep green ribbon chocker in place of her mother's necklace.:

"You plan to never marry, yet you wear a betrovel necklace from some one in the Earth Kingdom." His voice was dark and menacing. He tried to seize her chin again, but she swiftly dodged his grasp.

"That was a present." She said, blushing and vainly striving to hide her embarrassment.

"Katara, as you have no husband, that necklace can only have been given by one who hopes to make you his wife. Why try to play me as a fool any further? Do you enjoy torturing me, peasant? That necklace is a promise; and that promise has been accepted. You think I am a simpleton like you brother? That I can not put two and two together? Do you peasant?" he gritted his teeth and the small pallor became warmer.

The water princess lowered her head to hide her face. "Don't, don't you think that this cross-examination has lasted long enough?" she shook as she turned her back to him.

"Forget it… You damn know why I meddle in your affairs, if you chose to believe me or not frankly I could careless anymore. It is obvious that you do not wish to be in my company, I'll take my leave. But let me tell you this, what I saw and heard and seen last night, trust me I have seen far more then you suspect, you ungrateful peasant. I saw you in pure ecstasy at the sound of a voice. I heard the voice that came from the wall of your villa. And the shear joy your face showed when hearing the voice, girl you're playing an awfully dangerous game, and yet it seems that you are fully aware of clear warnings." He clenched his fist. "It is a very dangerous voice; I've heard it and it fascinated me so much that I let you vanish before my eyes with out seeing which way you had passed…. Why did you pity me last night when it is clear as crystal that you do not have one bit of love in your frozen heart for me?" with that he turned to walk out of the pallor door and out of the waterbender's life for good.

"Zuko!" she called as she embraced his back. "Please… please… I…I…" her hot tears seeped through the layers of his robes. "I don't want to see you get hurt." She whispered. "Please hate me all you want, but please forgot you ever heard the man's voice."

"Is the mystery of the man's voice such a terrible thing?" he paused.

"The worst type of secret in this spirit forsaken city." she rested her head on his toned chest, listening to his soft heart beat.

"Will you send for me from time to time?" he gazed into her eyes as he lowered his head to her's.

"I promise." her eyes fluttered shut as his lips met hers.

Author's notes: finally I got this chapter done…. I was suffering from the worst writer's block with this chapter. Not to mention the fact that this chapter was rewritten close to sixty times. . I am not one hundred percent happy with it but when am I ever.


	12. Chapter Eleven: Above the Trap Doors

_**Disclaimer**__: All rights reserved _

_The Phantom of the Opera is by Gaston Letoux and the property of (I've been checking for the copyright info and I have come up with none so I am gonna assume that it belongs to the Estate of Gaston Letoux) _

_Avatar the Last Air bender is created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko all rights reserved by Nickelodeon_

_Needless to say I don't anything with this._

**Chapter Eleven Above the Trap Doors**

The next day the banished Fire prince saw the Southern Water Princess at the palace. She was still wearing the green silken necklace. She was gentile and kind to him. The princess talked with the former prince of the plans his Uncle had for their new tea shop. He spoke of the travels he did over the three years of his banishment. He spoke with her about his decision about leaving the Earth Kingdom capitol to find his own path instead of chasing the Avatar to the ends of the earth. She suggested almost gaily, that he must look upon his quest with delight, as a stage towards his coming peace in his life. And, when he replied that peace without love was no attraction to his eyes, she treated him as a child whose sorrows had been short lived. "How the hell can you speak so lightly about such serious things, Katara?" he asked. "I have made the most life altering decision of my life. I am wanted by the three surviving nations, if I am discovered I will die." He snorted. "Or I." she simply said. She no longer smiled or jested. She seemed to be thinking of some new thing that had entered her mind for the first time. Her eyes were all aglow with it. "Tell me what you are thinking about, Katara."  
"I am thinking that we will never cross paths again…"  
"And does that thought make you so happy?"  
"And that, in a month's time we shall say goodbye…" her eyes met his "forever…" she whispered.  
"You could always come with me."  
She put her fingers to his lips and her eyes darted around the room "Hush Li, you know you must not speak like that. You know that I can not leave or marry, I thought you understood that." She said in an angered whisper. He looked at her questionly at the use of his alias for a moment before she resumed her overly cheerful mood. The water princess clapped her hands with childish glee. The prince started at her with complete puzzlement, one moment she was dead serious, the next acting like a child enjoying her favorite game. This confirmed that he had once only suspected that girls are truly crazy. "I have an idea, but" she paused, holding out her two hands to the fire prince as to make them a present of them to him. "What if we be engaged until you leave? No one will know but us will know of this but ourselves, Li there have been plenty of secret marriages, why not a secret engagement? We can be engaged for a month after the month we will part ways, you will leave and I can be happy at the thought of that month for the rest of my life." The water maiden was enchanted by her inspiration. Then she became serious once more. "This," she started, "will be a happiness that will harm no one." He was a bit skeptical to say the least at this idea but looking into her crystal blue eyes he knew he could not refuse her crazy idea. He softly bowed and said, "My fair waterbender, may I have the honor to ask have your hand." He placed a tender kiss on the palms of each of her hands before softly pulling them to his chest and placing them over his heart. She silently nodded dumbly, momentary loosing the power of her voice 'When did his words become so smooth?' her mind questioned. It was only supposed to be a game. They both knew it but that did not stop them from wishing it was not. They would sit and talk by the fireplace in the office that the Earth King had provided the water maiden. Never leaving her small office, the young tea server wondered why they never left this small room but awaited the water maiden's explanation. About one week after they started their little game, the banished prince could no longer hold the nagging thoughts that plagued his mind and exploded at the waterbender with the question that had been bothering him the most in the past week. "Why can't you leave this city?" The water maiden, who, in her innocence, suddenly discovered the dangers in this game and reproached herself bitterly, she did not say a word in reply to the firebender's question and went straight to her villa. In the evening, she did not sing and he did not receive his usual letter, though the two had arranged to write each other daily during that month. Later that night under his alter ego's guise he crept into the Avatar's villa to find to clues to unravel the mysteries that the water princess seamed to be determined to guard. She never returned to her villa that night. The next morning, the tea server rushed to the home of Aunt Wu, who simply told him that the water princess had gone away and will not return for at least another day. Prince Zuko was angry; he hated the old fortune teller for giving him this news with such stupefying calmness. He tried to intricate, but the old tea leaf reader would not tell him any of the details. Lady Katara returned to the stage on the following day. She returned in triumph. She renewed her extraordinary success of the celebration of the Earth King's bear performance. Since the adventure of the 'bull toad,' Lady Jun had not been able to appear on the stage. The terror of a fresh 'co-ack' filled her heart and deprived her of all her confidence of singing; and the theatre that had witnessed her incomprehensible disgrace had become odious of her. She contrived to cancel her contract with the royal opera and the water princess was appointed the vacant place by the Earth King for the time. She received thunders of applause in the performance of Avatar Kyoshi. The banished prince, who, of course was present as the Blue Spirit, was the only one to suffer on hearing the thousand echoes of this fresh triumph; for Princess Katara still wore the green **betrothal**necklace. His mind whispered "She is wearing the necklace again tonight; and you did not give it to her. She gave her soul again tonight but did not give it to you…. She will not tell you what she has been doing these past two days…. You must go and see the Secretary." He quickly ran behind the scenes and changed his clothing before placing himself in her way. She was him for she was looking for him. "Quick, this way!" she said in a raised whisper as she dragged him to her office. He stood before her glaring daggers into her eyes demanding an explanation for her to disappear without a word. He cursed her for robbing him of the time of the ideal happiness that she had promised him. She silently let her tears flow as she nodded her head not to leave again before the moth was over. They kissed like lovers finding one another again after years of separation. Suddenly, she snatched herself from the firebender's warm and loving embrace. She seemed to be listening for something and with a quick gesture, pointed to the door. When he stepped angrily into the threshold, she said, in a whisper so low that the tea server read her lips rather then heard her words. "Tomorrow, my dear prince, and be happy I sang you alone tonight." The next day he returned however those two days of absence had broken all the charm of their little fantasy. They looked at each other, in the water maiden's office, with their depressive eye, with out exchanging a single word and sat in utter uncomfortable silence. The prince restrained his temper to he would not start demanding an explanation. But she heard him all the same. The stood and held her hand out to him. "Let's go for a walk, Li. The air will do you good." The prince thought she would propose a walk amongst the rings of the city, far from the palace which he detested as a prison whose secret police he could feel stalking in the shadows… the Dai Li. But she took him to the stage and made him sit on the wooden curb of a well, in the doubtful peace and coolness of a first scene for the evening's performance. On another day, she wandered with him, hand in hand, along the deserted paths of the king's rock garden whose stones had been cut out by a master earthbender's skillful hands. It was though the sky, the flowers, the earth outside of the palace were forbidden her for all time and she condemned to breathe no other air than that of the royal court. An occasional Joo Dee passed, watching over their melancholy idyll from afar so she could report back to the Grand Secretary. She would on occasion drag the moody prince up to the rafters of the theater into the magnificent disorder of the grid, where she loved to watch him go into shock as she raced ahead of him along the frail bridges, among the thousands of ropes fastened to the pulleys, windlasses, rollers, in the midst a regular forest of yards and masts. If he paused, she would tease him, with an adorable pout on her lips. "Call yourself a warrior." Which the princess was immediately rewarded with a glare that could cause a solider to break. Once they returned to solid ground, that is to say some passage that lead them to the wing for the young children of the court, where the noble children between the age of five and twelve were busy practicing their calligraphy, in the hope of following in their parent's footsteps 'pockets filled with gold and emeralds.' Meanwhile the water maiden would give them candied moon peaches instead. She took him to the throne room, the counselor's gardens, she took him all over her domain, which caused his heart to long for his home, his nation, his past, every thing he chose to abandon, and soon he will have to abandon her as well. His heart pained at the thought. The princess however, to the prince seemed to be oblivious to his strife as she moved along the marble workers, giving them advice as their hands hesitated to cut into the rich stone that was to adorn the thrown of the king. The servants had all learned to love her, for she interested herself in all of their troubles and all of their quirky little hobbies as she ignored the troubles belonging to her and the firebender beside her. Their precious days sped in this way; and Prince Zuko and Princess Katara, by affecting an excessive interest in the most ridiculous subjects, strove to awkwardly hide from each other the one thought of their hearts. One fact was certain, that the water maiden, who until then had shown herself to be the stronger of the two, suddenly became inexpressibly nervous. When on their walks, she would start to run without reason, or else suddenly stop; and her hand turning as cold as the ice she controlled in a moment, would hold the scared tea server back. Sometimes her eyes seemed to be pursuing imaginary shadows, that the prince suspected was the Dai Li. She would whisper, "This way," and "That way," then suddenly begin to laugh a breathless laugh that would often end with her tears. When the banished prince tried to question her, in spite of the promises. But, even before he had worded his question, she would answer almost feverishly, "Nothing! I swear it was nothing!" On one occasion when they were passing a trap door, the firebender stopped over the dark cavity and said with a smirk dancing on his lips, "You've shown me over the upper part of the palace, Katara… but what about the lower part? Shall we go down?" She caught him in her arms, as though she feared to see him disappear down the dark hole, and in a trembling voice whispered. "Never, I will not have you go down there. Besides, I don't have permission, everything bellow ground belong to the Dai Li." "So that is where the Dai Li hide?" She could see the plotting behind his molten eyes.  
"I never said that, who told you that? Come away from there. Some times I wonder if you are quite sane, y dear Li. You take things in such an impossible way. Come now, please." The water Princess had to literally drag him away, for he was obstinate and wanted to stay by the trap door; that hole attracted to him. Suddenly, the trap door was closed, and so quickly that they did not even see the hand that worked it; and they remained quite dazed. "Perhaps the Dai Li were watching you?" the fire bender said, at last.   
"She shrugged her shoulders, but did not seem very easy, "No, no it must have been one of the Joo Dee. They must do something when they are not giving tours of the city, you know. They open and shut the trap doors with out any particular reason. It's like the valets, they must spend their time some how."  
Her excuse was weak and both of them knew it. "But suppose it was one of the Dai Li, Katara?"  
"Oh no, no they have been told by the king that I am not to be followed."  
"The king?" he raised his unmarred eyebrow. She weakly nodded and the fire prince dropped the subject for the time being. For all of that, on the next day and the ones following that, Katara was careful to avoid the trap doors. Her agitation increased as the hours passed. At last, one afternoon, she arrived very late, with her face so desperately pale and her eyes so desperately red that Prince Zuko resolved to go to all lengths, including that of his alter ego, he even went as far as to threaten to turn himself in to the Dai Li unless she would tell him the secret of the man's voice. "Hush, you don't want them to hear you, you fool." And the water bender stared wildly at everything around her.  
"I will remove you from his power Katara, I swear it and then perhaps you will not be frighten of your own shadow."  
"It's not possible." Her eyes were downcast. He placed his hand under her chin and raised it so there eyes would meet. She saw the determination that she lad long forgotten he had in his eyes allowed herself this glimmer of hope, which was a great encouragement, while dragging the young prince up to the top most floor of the palace, far,far from the trap doors. "I shall hide you in some unknown corner of the world, where they can not come to look for you. You will be safe; and then I will go away like I had promised, as you swore never to marry." His soft voice echoed in her ears.  
The water maiden seized the tea server's hand and squeezed them with incredible rapture. But suddenly alarmed, she turned her head away. "Higher!" was all she said. 'Higher still!" as she dragged him up towards him summit of the majestic building. He was having some difficulty following her. They were soon under the very roof, in the maize of timberwork. They slipped through the rafters and the joists; they ran from beam to beam as they might have to run from tree to tree in a forest. And despite the care which she took to look behind her every moment, she failed to a shadow which followed her like her own, which stopped when she stopped and that started again when she started again and made no more noise that a well conducted shadow should. As for the prince, he saw nothing but that did not stop him from wondering what was behind him. 


End file.
